NJ teacher to appeal firing, denies asking 2nd-grade students to flush bottles of his urine

PATERSON, N.J. – A New Jersey second-grade teacher will appeal his firing for insubordination and inappropriate behavior, including urinating in class, his lawyer says.

The Record newspaper reports Ron Tuitt released a statement in which he denied sending students to flush bottles of his urine. He has taught in Paterson's schools since 1996.

State Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf approved removing Tuitt's tenure protection and firing him on April 18.

The state found the teacher once urinated in a classroom trash can, sometimes urinated in a plastic bottle and asked students to take his waste to the boys' bathroom, and let students sit in his motorized wheelchair.

Tuitt denied some of the charges and told the state that others were because he was ill and his principal removed some accommodations.